In diagnosing and treating heart diseases caused by occlusion of the coronary arteries, a physician may perform various tests and non-surgical procedures in which a catheter is guided through an artery in the arm or leg and into the selected coronary artery of the heart. Once in place, the catheter is then used for performing diagnostic tests such as a coronary angiography in which a radio imaging material is injected to visualize the arteries, or therapeutic interventions such as a coronary angioplasty, stenting, or atherectomy. A physician may insert the catheter in the patient using a femoral, brachial, or transradial coronary intervention approach.
In a transradial approach, the catheter is introduced into the aorta via the radial artery in the wrist. The radial artery and the ulnar artery are two small arteries in the wrist that communicate through the palmar arch. The physician may introduce the catheter via either the right or left radial artery. The physician may choose to access the left radial artery due to accessibility for engaging the left subclavian artery and the left internal mammary artery (LIMA), proximity to the LIMA and subclavian artery, proximity to a subclavian graft, compromised access of the right radial artery, medical conditions of the patient, or other conditions of the patient where accessing the right radial artery is not medically advised. However, a problem with the use of performing this technique on the left radial artery of the patient is that the physician stands on the patient's right side and has to lean over the patient and reach around the patient's abdomen to perform the procedure on the left wrist, causing strain on the physician's lower back and upper body. Another problem with this technique is that positioning the patient's left wrist and arm in a steady and comfortable manner is difficult due to the patient's movement due to discomfort or lack of proper support of the patient's arm. To position the arm, the left arm may be propped up using standard hospital pillows and blankets used for patients' beds. However, the problem with this technique is that pillows and blankets may move around or are not dense enough to properly position the patient's arm and keep it in a steady and comfortable position. The physician or support staff needs to often reposition the pillow and blankets to find a suitable position that is high enough for performing the procedure. For example, the physician may have trouble reaching a morbidly obese patient's wrist due to having to reach over a large abdomen. Even if the physician may reach the patient's wrist, a different position may enable the physician to maintain a more comfortable posture while performing the procedure.
Another problem with this technique is that pillows and blankets may move around or are not dense enough to properly position the patient's arm and keep it in a steady, stationary and comfortable position. The physician may apply some pressure on the arm and wrist during the procedure that may cause the arm and wrist to move or push the arm into the pillows and blankets. Additionally, pillows and blankets do not keep a form that is comfortable for the enough and maintains the arm in a steady and still position for the duration of the procedure and recovery time. The patient may become uncomfortable during the procedure or become fidgety and move their arm, making accessing the left radial artery and engaging the LIMA more difficult or may dislodge the catheter. Pillows and blankets do not provide enough firm shape that maintains the arm's stationary position in a comfortable manner and limits movement.